In larger vehicles used for transporting people, passenger cabins are usually in designated sections of the vehicle. To this end, it is common to join a series of cladding elements, cabin equipment components and larger cabin systems with a structure, for example the primary structure, of the vehicle at several locations by means of retainers and fastening elements. For optical considerations, such retainers and fastening elements are concealed, so as to not be visible to the passenger in the completed cabin.
As a departure from the above, there exist concepts in which parts of the cabin equipment are incorporated to some extent preassembled into an open vehicle fuselage. For example, US 2007/0241231 A1 and DE 10 2006 017 596 A1 disclose floor elements for individual sections of a vehicle cabin with equipment components arranged thereupon, such as stools, beds and the like, which are enhanced by additional cladding elements, monuments and the like. DE 10 2006 048 376 A1 and WO 2008/043557 A1 disclose a cantilever cabin structural unit that can be secured to an aircraft structure for the attachment of built-in cabin elements for an aircraft.
It could be interpreted as disadvantageous to have to use an abundance of different retainers and fastening elements for various cladding elements and cabin equipment components for manufacturing a passenger cabin. In addition, each retainer and each fastening element must be secured to the primary structure of the vehicle, for example, so that it must also be configured for this purpose, so that no excessive weakening of the primary structure comes about for all conceivable cabin variants. In addition to the high integration outlay, the retainers and fastening elements must be stockpiled and provided, which can negatively affect the economic efficiency in manufacturing an aircraft cabin. Finally, the designated fuselage section is blocked by assemblers and technicians during the complicated manual integration of the cladding elements and cabin equipment components, which delays other, subsequent, or parallel work to be conducted on the vehicle.
Consequently, at least one object is to provide a system for manufacturing a vehicle cabin that diminishes or entirely eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, at least one object may involve proposing a system for manufacturing a vehicle cabin that permits a flexible configuration thereof, but in equal measure can be integrated into the vehicle fuselage with the lowest possible number of different retainers and fastening elements. At least a further object may involve reducing the integration time for manufacturing the cabin inside the vehicle, for example so that its interior space is blocked for the least possible period of time when assembling the equipment of the vehicle. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.
The system according to an embodiment for manufacturing a vehicle cabin comprises at least one first installation component, at least one first surface element, and at least one guide element. The first surface element is slidably arranged on the first installation component by means of the guide element. The guide element can be locked in at least one assembly position, and in at least one operating position. The grouping comprised of the first surface element, the guide element and the first installation component forms a cabin module, which comprises outer dimensions enabling incorporation into the fuselage of a vehicle. In the operating position, the cabin module makes up at least a portion of the cabin in the fuselage of the vehicle.
A cabin can have a combination of installation components, which predominantly extend in all spatial dimensions, and cladding components with an overall flat and often curved shape. The designation of the at least one first surface element is used to denote those elements that are essentially flat, for example lining panels (“lining panels”), ceiling panels (“ceiling panels”) and the like.
An installation component can be viewed as any conceivable component that usually is arranged in a vehicle cabin. This can include storage compartments, storage cabinets, kitchen elements, onboard toilets, cabin sections and the like that extend in all spatial directions. However, the invention is not limited to one of the cited installation components; rather, the flexibility of the system according to the invention makes any installation component suitable to contribute to the advantageous use of the system according to the invention. As a consequence, it is conceivable in special instances inside a cabin to be realized that this first installation component also be understood as a flat component, such as a separating wall, a section wall or a cladding element, so that the system allows areas in the vehicle without installation components extending in all spatial dimensions to yield an easy to manufacture cabin.
The guide element is used to mount the surface element on the installation component in a guided fashion. The guide element can also be realized using any embodiments that do not limit the embodiments. The guide path to be realized by the guide element is also not limited to specific embodiments; rather, both straight and curved guide paths can be realized. Also conceivable are rotational motions by means of hinge-like devices. In addition, it also makes no difference how many components the guide element comprises, and which of the components are arranged on the installation component and which of the components are arranged on the surface element.
The guide element is primarily intended to establish a connection between the surface element and installation component. In equal measure, it must be possible to lock the guide element in at least one assembly position and at least one operating position. This can be realized by a plurality of different locating devices that exert a non-positive or positive effect.
When in the assembly position, the cabin module with surface element, guide element and installation component comprises outer dimensions that enable incorporation into an open fuselage of the aircraft, so that the cabin module can be manufactured outside of the vehicle fuselage. This eliminates the need to block the designated fuselage section while assembling the equipment of the vehicle. The level of prefabrication makes it possible to significantly cut the time required for integration into the fuselage section of the vehicle.
In the operating position, however, the cabin module can comprise the kind of shape where it forms at least one section of the cabin, preferably running in the longitudinal direction. By being locked in the operating position, the cabin module can remain in the desired form, and be permanently used as a cabin section.
The general objective is to narrow the cross section of the cabin module using the guide element and relative motion it enables between the installation component and surface element, so that the preassembled cabin module can be introduced into the open fuselage of the vehicle without colliding with its structure.
Let it be noted now that, when using several surface elements, all of these surface elements do not absolutely have to be mounted on an installation component via guide elements. For example, if ceiling panels are mounted on spatial installation components by means of guide elements, lateral cladding elements could be rigidly arranged on these installation components, since even if slidably guided they would do virtually nothing in the way of reducing the outer dimensions of the cabin module. On the other hand, these lateral cladding elements could also be pivoted to the respective installation components, as a result of which another narrowing can be brought about in the floor region.
The system according to an embodiment achieves at least one object by virtue of the fact that the prefabrication of cabin modules initially reduces the time to be spent in the vehicle fuselage. In addition, it enables a very flexible configuration of the cabin. The number of fastening elements and retainers necessary in the fuselage can be diminished given the self-supporting nature of the cabin modules manufactured with the system according to the invention, which can continue to be situated predominantly at the same, standardized positions for all conceivable embodiments.
One advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention comprises fastening elements for securing the cabin module to a floor of the passenger cabin. These fastening elements are set up to mount the cabin module in the operating position, thereby establishing the position relative to the vehicle fuselage, and allowing the self-supporting cabin module to ensure a reliable accommodation of passengers inside the vehicle. The fastening elements can comprise any shape desired that permits the reliable mounting of such a cabin module.
In an embodiment, the fastening elements for attachment to a floor in the cabin are designed as floor rails that can be secured to the floor structure. These floor rails can preferably be realized in the same way as seat rails for accommodating passenger seats that are usually found in larger passenger cabins.
In another embodiment of the system, the at least one guide element is realized by means of a guide rail and at least one runner that can slide in the guide rail. The runner can preferably be locked to the guide rail by moving relative to the guide rail in a direction not lying on the guide path. For example, this could be realized by lifting, pressing, turning or some other possible movements, as a result of which the runner plunges into a corresponding depression or pocket in the guide rail, bringing about a positive interlock.
In an embodiment of the system, the runner has a shape that allows a gliding motion within the guide rail if the runner is aligned to extend in the direction parallel to the guide path, while establishing a lock relative to the guide given another alignment. As a result, for example, the runner with an oval or oblong shape could be turned to enable a reliable locking of the guide element in one or more positions, such as the assembly position and operating position.
In another embodiment of the system, the at least one first installation component comprises an opening at a bounding face that makes it possible to lock the guide element in place from outside the installation component. For example, if the installation component is realized as a storage compartment, and the guide element is arranged on an upper bounding face of the storage compartment, a runner could only be operated with relative difficulty. The runner could be shaped in such a way as to project out of a side of the guide rail facing the installation component at least in specific positions, allowing it to be brought into a locked position through a corresponding opening in this installation component by turning, pulling or pressing. This facilitates the assembly of guide elements that might not be visible and be covered.
In another embodiment of the system, the at least one installation component comprises at least one locating surface with at least one retaining body for accommodating at least one second installation component. The retaining body could be designed in such a way as to enable a reliable non-positive or positive mounting of second installation components. Hook or wedge-shaped configurations are conceivable. If the cabin has several cabin modules that can be inserted one after the other into the designated fuselage section of the vehicle, the retaining bodies can be designed in such a way as to enable a successive insertion of second installation components on cabin modules already located in the designated fuselage section. Any ensuing second installation component can be used to support the preceding second installation component if the second installation components are also distributed over the designated fuselage section.
At least one of the objects is additionally achieved by means of a method for manufacturing a cabin. This method provides at least one first surface element, at least one first installation component, and at least one guide element. The surface element is arranged on the first installation element with the guide element.
As implied by the designation “at least”, several first installation components and surface elements can also be combined with each other to form a collapsible or telescoping cabin module. The resultantly formed cabin module is moved into an assembly position in which the guide element is locked in an assembly position. The cabin module is introduced into the designated fuselage section, and there secured to a retaining element on the cabin floor.
In an embodiment of the method, second installation components are arranged on locating surfaces of a first installation component that comprise retaining bodies and there fastened.
At least one object is further achieved with an installation component for a passenger cabin of a vehicle equipped with a guide rail arranged on at least one bounding face, in which a runner can be slidably arranged and locked in an assembly position or operating position. The first installation component is designed as an overhead storage compartment.
Finally, at least one object is achieved by using a system according to an embodiment for manufacturing a cabin in an aircraft, as well as with an aircraft having at least one designated fuselage section and at least one system according to an embodiment.